The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-12-02
POwderly's Land Theory.

PHILADELPHIA. November 2j.-T.
Y. PpWd~TIv. VI ,strr Wmkman uf the
Knights q! LtGuT, This we~k commences
the publication of SERIES uf I-Irers in
the official organ uf he o-i-r, cnnrafn-
Ing suggestions npnn which "A D lpul4r
vote of Th" members NAV snOu b.- asked.
Mr.. Pdwd-r'y jrins ISSUE with the
Common properly theory. He tffirms
The charges against sprcu'srnr4 and
greedy landlords. buJ gives ;he Knights
o. l. tbOr the credit Of forcing th.- Gyh-
''uutil now are seen public (i .iaIs.
legislators, heads Of depart men's. S-na-
tors and the President himself stretch.
ing forth their hands to save the heri-
tdgs of ths people.
''luGividuals," D." says he. "mi7ht nave
Tfis-d thE:T voices in VAIN they might
have written and prayed isula'pd ar
gAuiz'tInus ~ mn might have p-ririuu-
rd the Law makers NOT IN give away The
lands. and their voices. prayers and
pA'i ions would nave gone forth unhesd
cd had not the united vrice of mrn and
women who brlI.ved and de- Jared that
not another acre fnr railroads or spec.-
lai0rs' should be given or battered away
forever.
To no other organizi,inn halnngsthe
credit OF calling attsurinn To The T wages
nf ths land speculation. Knighis of
Ltb1r have kept that quest ION promin-
entity btf"re the peopr in sras N and
our nt season. ana t-ture our mission is
ended tue Tnhniy grasp Of the specu'a.nr
and The slI-n landlord will h.. removed
trum 'he soil forever. t. DIV ia every
town and hamlet the land oIesIion ia
b''ing studied ana the simple prnpnsit ion
OF the hu'gh's OF l. thor stands up in
0ltut torn before every man and ,ynm.r
who tolls aud te-ls a. interest in the
country W. inhahIt. Theories are ad-
vauctd which IN thsms-lves sound very
nice as To the ownership Of All the LAND
bY the people in common 3 fore that
ntJ~ct Can b. at'aiurd the people must
learn tO think in cnmmon.' II must
hrsf be demons rated that the idea is
Practicable. | OLce believed that The
p-"p'e could own ard Till th- s,iI in
common. lid NOT believe that II was
right for an ind ,vIdu4I To hold ahsnlu,e
ownership of the soil. To dav know
that an individual cannot hold absolute
title to the soil if the interests Of the
p-op'e in common require that it should
be n'herWlsa
Il no longer believe that the peOple
'lD common can till the soil and own IL
IN common hrst, hscAuse they do not
mink III cnmmnn /; second, becau7e the
peopir are nn'y people and not angels.
In other words. the people are not good
enough yet tu discard the native selfish
I, ness which VAS horn in them. W.
must take men aud women as va q ID
them. AS we fiud men and women TO-
d~y. they are selfish and rrasDinp
Each one has desire to own aud con-
troll home Of his own, and nv effrrtS
viii b- put forth TO the end thar each
man who with. To may own his home.
IL ev-ry man pwneu his home labor
would hr more appreciated than it is.
Ih- desire to reduce the hours of labor
would cr greater. for every man would
hav- place on which to expend his
spare moments
'S-tl ing aside the future OF the land
the one idea on which all man can unite
Is that the land should M kept frnm
sharks, specula oTs kEavEs and land
or II hers-native nainraliZ~d or alien.
On This principle the Knights nf Labor
have united over million people. for
no matter how many members NAV
nave drifted away. they were a unit on
that question and still believe i. true. {"